The Major League Baseball Players Association is exploring a licensing deal with Genies, a company that creates digital animated avatars. More than 1,200 MLB players could be added to the Genies platform.
A possible partnership would create an opportunity for MLB players to partner with brands who may want to advertise using a player’s avatar. If signed, Genies would also create digital apparel that matches the brands individual players work with, and allow other users to dress their own avatars to match their favorite player.
Genies can also integrate with social media sites and chat platforms such as iMessage, and so users would be able to post animations of their avatars copying home run dances and other baseball actions.
PRO DAY: Join SportTechie in NYC on Dec. 12 for Sports Media Production & Consumption
“Genies has the potential to open up new doors for our players in ways that have never been done before,” said Evan Kaplan, EVP of licensing and sponsorship for MLB Players, Inc. “Genies is an incredible outlet for [players] to further grow their presence in the digital world. With a digital representation, they can stay focused on baseball without losing the opportunity to actively engage with brands and fans.”
In October, the NFLPA announced a licensing deal with Genies to create digital avatars of more than 2,000 active NFL players. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff has used his Genies avatar to promote his clothing line on his personal Instagram. Just last week, the MLBPA and NFLPA partnered to form a new marketing company devoted to increasing revenue opportunities for athletes in the digital gaming space.
